Kelly Trom is a journalism sophomore and Mustang Daily arts contributing writer.
The semester versus quarter debate is an age-old question. Well maybe not age-old, but it has been debated since the 1960s. In recent years, it has been on the forefront of students’ minds, especially those who attend a college in the California State University (CSU) system. Currently there are 16 CSU campuses on the traditional semester system.
Consistency seems to be one of the main reasons behind the conversion of so many CSUs to semesters. If all the CSUs are on semesters, they can share system-wide resources. Also, the cost of grading and registering students two times per year instead of three times a year is significantly less.
While the financial side of the debate cannot be overlooked, it should not be the only factor discussed. The quarter system provides students with many opportunities to grow academically that the semester system does not. There’s also the long, expensive conversion process which attempts to fix a system that is not broken.
Cal Poly, one of the six CSU campuses operating on the quarter system, is in the process of deciding whether to convert to semesters.
One of the obvious benefits of the quarter system is more classes to choose from. This means students can explore different avenues and career possibilities through general education classes. These choices are especially important at a school such as Cal Poly because students are required to choose their major upon entering the university. If a student wants to change majors, it is at least a two-quarter endeavor. The sooner a student knows that he or she wants to change, the better.
The quarter schedule also offers more flexibility for students when planning their schedules. It gives them one extra term to begin their education. This benefit is ideal for transfer students. It also allows students with low incomes to begin school earlier because the up-front costs such as registration are less expensive when broken up, and lets students sample more professors and courses.
The quarter system also provides opportunities and benefits for professors. Under the quarter system, most professors teach three courses per quarter. In a semester system, professors would teach, on average, four courses per semester. According to “Faculty Workload Issues” published by CSU Los Angeles, most faculty at CSU Los Angeles wanted to convert to the semester system where they taught three classes per semester. This change would mean increased class size, an increased number of large lecture classes with teacher assistant support and less opportunities for hands-on learning.
Professors teaching fewer courses throughout the year have less of an opportunity to experiment with the content in their courses and the way the content is taught. This leads to a more stagnant curriculum that is less likely to be updated and modified.
When it comes down to it, the cost of conversion is astronomical for a limited amount of benefits. The Semester Review Task Force estimated $21 million in conversion costs for Cal Poly. It would disrupt an already functioning system conducive to student success and committed to the “Learn By Doing” motto. Implementation would take a minimum of three years, time that could be spent overhauling existing curriculums. The strain and stress that would be put on faculty, professors and students in conversion is ultimately not worth it.
Cal Poly has always been a leader in the educational world. We should not simply follow the crowd and convert to semesters because other CSUs are heading that way.
The university was built on quarters and on quarters we should stay.